Staunton District Highway Scanner - November 2023

AROUND THE DISTRICT A MESSAGE FROM TODD STEVENS ...
More than half of the employees in the VDOT Staunton
District are transportation operators. This should come as
no surprise because operators are the heart and soul of our
district and the agency as a whole.
Construction Manager Alan Tucker
retired in September after 36 years of
service. Tucker is pictured above with
Engineering Technician Joan Wood
during his retirement party at Verona
AHQ.
As you saw in this newsletter’s cover article, these are the
men and women who do it all. They often work in harm’s
way and endure every weather extreme in order to maintain
and improve thousands of miles of roadway. Every day they
earn our respect and our thanks.
We are quickly approaching another winter season – another
chance for VDOT operators to shine. No one does a better job
of keeping our roads passable and safe in the face of snow, sleet or freezing rain. They
work alongside contractors and hired-equipment crews, teaching them snow-removal
routes and sharing vital tips and techniques. They plow and treat through 12-hour shifts,
day after day if severe weather demands it.
VDOT operators hope for a mild winter and an early spring so they can get back to work
on their core duties: pulling ditches to improve roadside drainage, repairing shoulders,
and perhaps giving a secondary route the Rural Rustic treatment. This time of year, they
begin the seemingly endless task of mowing and brush cutting to improve sight distance
and keep our transportation network looking good.
Four Staunton District operators
helped Team VDOT finish 7th at the
2023 Southeastern Regional Roadeo!
Mount Jackson AHQ crews took part
in a "Careers on Wheels" event in
October at Honey Run Elementary
School in Shenandoah County.
Maintenance operators labor straight through the summer months, as the heat bears
down from the sun and rises up from fresh pavement. They pull gravel roads to keep
them smooth, and treat them to keep the dust at bay. Meanwhile, bridge crew operators
are pouring concrete and setting beams in the constant effort to ensure drivers have
passage over rivers and streams.
All year long the operators of the VDOT Staunton District are looking out for you – and
each other. It’s their job to keep our roads, bridges and culverts safe and reliable. It’s
also their job to make it home each day with no injuries and no equipment damage.
That’s no small feat. Their work requires them to somehow concentrate on the task
at hand while keeping an eye out for backing hazards, tripping hazards, and the everpresent
hazards of distracted and impatient drivers.
Don’t be one of those drivers. One way you can offer a genuine thank-you to our operators
is to pass slowly and carefully through every work zone. Show your appreciation with a
nod of the head or a friendly wave while driving by. And the next time you get a chance,
tell an operator you’re proud to be part of the same VDOT team.
Thanks for your time, and be safe in everything you do.
Todd Stevens, P.E.
Staunton District Engineer
Superintendents and Supervisors from
across the district gathered in October
to prepare for the upcoming winter
weather season.
Staunton District Office of Communications
811 Commerce Road, Staunton, VA 24401-9029
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